Case with Interior Pocket

ABSTRACT

A case includes a flexible outer shell defining an interior, and an interior pocket having a capacity and an entry opening accessible from the interior, causing the flexible outer shell to bulge outwardly away from the interior upon receiving an article larger than the capacity of the pocket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a case, such as a briefcase or a laptop case, with an interior pocket for receiving an article, such as a laptop computer or other electronic devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

Prior art cases generally must be opened completely to receive articles or they may have an outer pocket or an inner pocket, to receive an article, such as a laptop computer or other electronic devices. When an interior pocket is used, the size of the pocket is limited by a hard outer shell of the case, which may be made of metal or hard plastic or softer cloth, vinyl or leather reinforced by a hard layer. Thus, the size of the interior-entry pocket is limited toward the outside of the case and is not flexible or yielding.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a case with an interior pocket, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and which allows items placed into an interior pocket to bulge or extend outwardly at the outside of the case, if they are too large for the pocket to accommodate them without bulging out.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a case, comprising a flexible outer shell defining an interior, and an interior pocket having a capacity and an entry opening accessible from said interior, causing said flexible outer shell to bulge outwardly away from said interior upon receiving an article larger than said capacity of said pocket.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the outer shell is elastically-deformable and may be formed of synthetic rubber, such as Neoprene.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a case with an interior pocket, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of the case of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the case with an article bulging outwardly from within an interior pocket;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the case in an open position showing the interior pocket without an article therein;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3 showing the interior pocket with an article therein;

FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective view of layers forming the case; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a case 1 having a soft, flexible, elastically-deformable outer shell 2, a zipper closure 3 and a handle 4. The shell 2 is in a relaxed condition due to the fact that no article causing the outer shell to bulge outwardly is located within an interior pocket, to be discussed in more detail below. In contrast, FIG. 2 shows that an article, such as a laptop computer, a cable, a power converter or another piece of electronic equipment or other article, which is larger than the size of the interior pocket, has caused a bulge 5 to appear in the outer shell 2.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the case 1 in an opened condition, illustrating an opening 6 for the interior pocket 7. An article 8 causing the bulge 5 is partially inserted in the pocket 7.

Several layers 11-14, which form the outer shell 2, are shown in FIG. 5. These layers include a Neoprene Oraskin (ORCA-G282) layer 11, which is stitched with the zipper 3, in an EBA form with micro fiber and piping finishing, with no glue on the EBA form. A layer 12 is EBA foam, a layer 13 is micro fiber glued onto the EBA foam and stitched to the zipper and piping and a layer 14 is large piping and stitching on the zipper to hold the layers together and provide design aspects. The steps used in assembly are shown as well. Neoprene or polychloroprene is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene.

FIG. 6 shows the layers discussed above, in section, with a nylon enforcement 15 on a hinge 16. 

1. A case, comprising: a flexible outer shell defining an interior; and an interior pocket having a capacity and an entry opening accessible from said interior, causing said flexible outer shell to bulge outwardly away from said interior upon receiving an article larger than said capacity of said pocket.
 2. The case according to claim 1, wherein said outer shell is elastically-deformable.
 3. The case according to claim 2, wherein said outer shell is formed of synthetic rubber. 